Independent participatory media for Iran

Farhad Rahbar, the head of Tehran University, has rejected news of his dismissal, stressing on national television that he is still leader of the country’s top university and news of his removal “should not be taken seriously.”

On March 18, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote to his minister of Science and Technology, Kamran Daneshjoo, to dismiss the presidents of Tehran and Tarbiat Moddares universities.

He accused them of taking a “non-scientific and politically motivated approach” that he called “inefficient and destructive.”

Although the letter was sent 12 days ago, so far Kamran Daneshjoo has not reacted to it, which led to Farhad Rahbar being asked on state television whether he was the former or current head of the university.

Rahbar dismissed the question, saying he was indeed the president of the university, to which the interviewer responded: “I hope this does not lead to the dismantling of Tehran University.”

Some political figures have criticized Ahmadinejad’s order to dismiss Rahbar as a kind of political manoeuvring before the presidential elections.